The Spokane International Film Festival is an intimate festival where filmmakers and audiences engage the art of cinema. We offer a small, selective offering of world-class films. These are the very best features, documentaries, and shorts that have been made around the world during the past year but have not yet been commercially released. SpIFF hosts screenings, parties, and other events that are open to the public and encourage lively and educational interactions between filmmakers and our audiences.

Schedule of Events

11:00 am: A Good Wolf at The Magic Lantern Theater

United States, United States / 93
Directed by Ramey Newell
Armed with thorough data, biologists and activists bring a new proposal to state authorities, hoping to regain protections for wolves near the park boundary. A volatile struggle between state and federal authorities, fur trappers and wildlife advocates, and competing human interests on public lands, A Good Wolf examines the 40-year conflict over a single tract of land adjacent to Denali National Park.

Cost: $7.00 - $12.00

11:15 am: World Shorts II at The Magic Lantern Theater

A Summer's End Poem
People's Republic of China , Switzerland , Malaysia / 2024 / 15
Directed by Lam Can-zhao
Shortly before the end of the summer holidays, a country boy spends his savings on his dream of a city hairstyle, with surprising results. A story about bidding farewell to childhood and the poetic end of a summer.

First Tango
Poland / 23
Directed by Aleksander Pakulski
Two teenagers who secretly fall in with each other are thrown by their friends into a sexual initiation ritual in the wild Kashubia. When they are left alone, they have to confront the pressure imposed on them and their feelings.

A Tin of White
United Kingdom / 12
Directed by Sara Stijovi?
A single mother is torn by guilt by her daughter's recent death. Pushing herself to move on for the sake of her teenage son, she decides they have to clear out and paint her room. The act of doing so ignites a fight between the two quietly grieving family members. Will a tin of white paint cover the pain and help them move on?

I Can Smell a Rat
Egypt / 17
Directed by Antonious George Bassily
Maribel, 10, is surprised when her drama teacher tells her that she has to play Hamlet in the school play just 2 days before the show. She goes home and spends the scariest night of her life with all her fears coming to life.

Their Universe
Korea, Republic of / 17
Directed by Jeong-gil HAN
Jun, who passed away in an accident a year ago, comes to Earth as a ghost to say goodbye to his lover, Hyun.

Cost: $7.00 - $12.00

1:30 pm: Through Indigenous Eyes at The Magic Lantern Theater

West Shore
United States / 18
Directed by Jordan Riber
Follow the West Shore Canoe Family as they paddle through their ancestral waters. Learn the integral role that song plays in Coast Salish Culture and how Tribal Journeys are healing and restorative in Coast Salish communities.

Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children are Coming Home)
United States / 11
Directed by Andy Wakeman
One of the Lakota Nation's most sacred places is Mato Paha, now part of Bear Butte State Park. The people's access to Bear Butte was severed in the late 19th century, when the U.S. government seized the Black Hills and broke up the Great Sioux Reservation. In 2024, the nonprofit Cheyenne River Youth Project took a major step toward restoring that access when it purchased a nearly 40-acre tract of land adjacent to Bear Butte, which it calls Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children Are Coming Home).

The Basket Lady
United States / 6
Directed by Jerilynn Arnold, Joey Lopez
Three young Indigenous women must contest with a power beyond their own worst nightmares, in this fictional depiction of a traditional Ute legend. Lisha, Lyric, and Riley are three young Native Ute teens who must heed the warnings of their elders or face the deadly consequences.

Dear Aloha
Not Specified / 16
Directed by Cris Romento
Two Native Hawaiians living in the Pacific Northwest reflect on how Aloha sustains them amidst distance, loss, and longing. Meanwhile, back in Hawaii, local residents grapple with the legacy of colonization that has resulted in many Hawaiians being displaced from their homeland.

Empowerment In Action: The Eco Spanish School Story
Guatemala / 9
Directed by Yue Lin Liu
Maria and Benedicto are two extraordinary individuals whose determination, resilience, and dedication have turned adversity into opportunity. Their Eco Spanish School, once a humble dream, has blossomed into a thriving success story, giving back to their community of San Juan La Laguna.

hitoláayca (Going Upriver)
United States / 26
Directed by Anna Lueck
Devin Reuben is training to be the first certified nimiipuu whitewater guide of his generation. The nimiipuu (Nez Perce) have a long history of river travel–in fact, they introduced the practice to settlers–but centuries of displacement and disconnection means Tribal members are now largely absent from their ancestral rivers. Devin says, "it's one big step for us: not just me, all of us. We're slowly bringing our culture back."

Cost: $7.00 - $15.00

1:45 pm: Battersea at The Magic Lantern Theater

Battersea
United States / 90
Directed by T.J. Sandella / John Anthony
Estranged siblings reconvene at their childhood home, where they spend a precarious weekend drinking and talking–uncovering the narratives and secrets that have shaped their lives.

My Last Martini
United States / 14
Directed by Rob Christopher
One evening at an elegant cocktail lounge, a frustrated writer impulsively breaks a self-imposed rule and decides to have a third martini.

Cost: $7.00 - $15.00

3:45 pm: Queer Shorts at The Magic Lantern Theater

Dandelion
United States / 20
Directed by Fiona Obertinca
In 1970s Los Angeles, a rebellious queer foster teen gets thrown out of yet another group home and finds herself in the company of a mysterious social worker who's tasked with finding her a new home before the break of dawn.

Amma's Pride
India / 20
Directed by Shiva Krish
Valli watches her trans daughter Srija, fall in love, marry, and fight for state recognition of her marriage in a traditional small town in South India. When societal pressures push Srija's marriage to the edge, Valli clings to the hope of a miracle.

It Burns
Belgium / 11
Directed by Kate Maveau
As the boundaries between the living and the dead blur, Irène's denial navigates through the five stages of grief, ultimately confronting her profound anguish and sorrow.

Inside the skin
Iran, Islamic Republic of / 17
Directed by Maryam Mahdiye, Shafagh Abosaba
As a teenage football player preparing for an important match, Ali must keep a secret hidden. But when Hamed finds out about it, the path ahead of Ali becomes shrouded in doubt.

A Bird Hit My Window and Now I'm a Lesbian
United States, United States / 8
Directed by Carmela Marie Murphy, AJ Dubler
After a mysterious girl shows up at Gray's doorstep holding the corpse of a bird, an impromptu bird funeral changes the way Gray views herself.

Their Universe
Korea, Republic of / 17
Directed by Jeong-gil HAN
Jun, who passed away in an accident a year ago, comes to Earth as a ghost to say goodbye to his lover, Hyun.

Cost: $7.00 - $15.00

4:00 pm: Ultimate Citizens at The Magic Lantern Theater

Ultimate Citizens
United States / 52
Directed by Francine Strickwerda
Mr. Jamshid is the charismatic, fiery, funny human with a Frisbee in hand, who is the first to show that "love wins" on the field, off the field, at home with family, or boldly forging a new community, in a new country – one kid, chicken, extreme mile and friend at a time. In Ultimate Citizens, Jamshid is an Iranian who came to study in 1970's America, and due to the Revolution, never went "home."

22
United States / 14
Directed by Nate Markquart
Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide in the United States. Mission Outdoors is an organization dedicated to reconnecting veterans back into their community to inspire hope back into their lives.

Jan Beauboeuf: The Creative Spirit
United States, United States / 24
Directed by Graham Holt
A contemplative journey of the life, challenges, and creative process of an 88 year old artist from central Louisiana as she completes her latest project. Learn how she has drawn inspiration from the life and death around her, using a mix of locally sourced materials.

Cost: $7.00 - $15.00

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Fox Presents and the Spokane International Film Festival Present VISION QUEST at Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

United States / 1985 / 107
Directed by Harold Becker
High school wrestler Louden Swain (Matthew Modine) feels he must do something significant in his life shortly after turning 18. Despite vehement advice against it from his father (Ronny Cox) and coach (Charles Hallahan), Swain decides to try to lose over 20 pounds in a very short time in an attempt to take on the defending state champion of a lower weight class. Meanwhile, he falls for the edgy, older Carla (Linda Fiorentino), who provides further distraction for the young wrestler.

Star Matthew Modine and legendary wrestling coach Cash Stone are scheduled to attend.